Apparatus for heating a vessel containing foodstuffs

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a cooking appliance comprising a case ( 1 ) and a vessel ( 2 ). Said vessel is intended to receive a cooking bath and is equipped with a draining device ( 10 ) which is used to drain the contents of the vessel ( 2 ) into a draining container ( 3 ), said container being removably-disposed in relation to the case ( 1 ). According to the invention, the draining device ( 10 ) comprises a thermostatic valve ( 16 ) consisting of a heat-sensitive mechanical element which moves according to the temperature.

[0001] The present invention concerns an apparatus for heating a vesselcontaining liquid or solid foodstuffs, such as an apparatus used forheating a baby bottle, or a small jar intended for baby food, or dishescontaining food for young children.

[0002] In the known devices for heating baby foods, heat is produced byelectric resistances disposed in proximity to the vessel to be heated,exchange of heat with this latter being able to take place via thesheath of air that surrounds the receptacle, by steam or by water.

[0003] The heating devices currently used function on the principle of adouble boiler, being constituted by a heating tank having a certainquantity of water into which the baby bottle or the small jar to beheated is plunged. Such a device is described in the document DE 878990. The temperature regulation of such a device is effected by athermostat that cuts off the current to heating element of the tank atpredetermined temperatures thereof. With such a regulation it isdifficult to arrive at an optimum temperature in the vessel to beheated. Moreover, the vessel being immersed in the tank containing hotwater, the temperature of this latter continues to rise even afterheating is halted. The greatest drawback of such a device remains thesubstantial heating time due to the thermal inertia of the water to beheated.

[0004] These drawbacks have been reduced in part by steam heatingdevices such as described in the documents U.S. Pat. No. 1,977,482 or FR2 753 071. In these documents, the vessel to be heated is a baby bottleplaced in a heating enclosure above a tank containing water and heatedby an electric resistance, the enclosure being closed at the upper partby a lid having an orifice for communicating with the atmosphere. Theelectric resistance transforms water contained in the tank into steamthat heats the baby bottle. This device provides shorter heating timesthan the preceding ones, but it is nevertheless necessary to wait arather long time to arrive at heating and then evaporating the water ofthe tank. Moreover, the outer surface of the baby bottle being very hotdue to contact with the steam, the user can be burned when grasping thebaby bottle immediately after the end of heating.

[0005] There is known moreover from the document FR 2 788 677 in thename of the applicant, an apparatus for cooling beverages conditioned byutilizing a pump that aspirates ice water from a reservoir and sends itover the cap of the bottle to be cooled. However, this apparatus, beingdesigned solely for cooling a bottle, is costly, since it makes use ofexpensive components, notably an electric pump. Moreover, the spreadingof the water on the bottle being done in a random manner, this apparatusmust use a temperature sensor in order to function correctly, whichincreases even more the cost and the complexity of the apparatus.

[0006] The goal of the invention is to overcome the above-citeddrawbacks and to propose an apparatus for heating in a very rapid mannervessels containing foodstuffs and to assure an optimal temperature ofthe foodstuff to be heated.

[0007] Another goal of the invention is an apparatus for heating vesselscontaining foodstuffs that is able to assure a stability of thetemperature of the contents of the vessel and that permits at the sametime a grasping in complete safety of the vessel from the end of theheating.

[0008] A supplementary goal of the invention is an apparatus for heatingvessels containing foodstuffs that is reliable in operation whilepresenting a simple structure, and being easy to fabricate commerciallyfor minimum costs.

[0009] These goals are achieved with an apparatus for heating a vesselcontaining foodstuffs, by contact with a fluid, having, in the lowerpart of said vessel, a reservoir for supplying a fluid and a unit forheating said fluid, by the fact that said apparatus has a thermal pumpable to transfer, through an upwardly extending conduit opening intosaid heating unit, a predetermined flow of heated fluid to adistributing organ oriented toward the wall of said vessel.

[0010] By fluid one understands a liquid or a gas, for example water,steam or any other heat carrying fluid able to store and transport heatbetween the heating unit and the vessel to be heated.

[0011] According to the invention, the apparatus has a thermal pump ableto transfer heated fluid toward the vessel containing the foodstuffs. Bythermal pump one understands a device for heating and lifting fluidhaving a heating unit connected, upstream, by a one-way valve, to afluid reservoir and, downstream, to an upwardly extending conduit orreturn tube permitting flow of the heated liquid, for example via adistributing organ, toward or onto the vessel to be heated. The one-wayvalve permits the admission of fluid from the reservoir into heatingunit, but prevents any return toward the reservoir.

[0012] The unit for heating the fluid is constituted by a fluidcirculation pipe in thermal communication with an electric heatingelement. The fluid circulation pipe forming a boiler can be a channelbent into a horseshoe shape connected to an electrically heated plate orto an electric resistance and, by this fact, the fluid passing throughrises rapidly in temperature.

[0013] Such a thermal pump is arranged between the reservoir forsupplying fluid and the vessel to be heated. Thus, the fluid from thereservoir arrives in the boiler by gravity, while passing through theone-way valve. The electric resistance rapidly heats the fluid, forexample the water present in the boiler, bringing it to boiling. Thevapor pressure provokes a rise of the water in the upwardly extendingconduit, then expulsion thereof toward the vessel to be heated. Theboiler having evacuated the totality of the fluid that was containedtherein, the pressure falls due to the exposure to air following theemptying of the upwardly extending conduit. The boiler is then filledagain with fluid coming from the reservoir and the cycle recommences.Such a thermal pump thus assures flow of the heated fluid above thelevel of water in the reservoir in a simple and economical manner,without requiring more sophisticated fluid pumping means.

[0014] Another advantage of the utilization of such a heating unit isthat one arrives at controlling and maintaining constant the temperatureof the fluid leaving the boiler, by a simple thermostatic regulation ofthe electric heating element of this latter. Thus, by knowing: thetemperature of the fluid leaving the boiler which is constant and theflow of fluid, i.e. the quantity of fluid delivered, which is equal tothe capacity of the boiler, and the contact time of the fluid with thevessel, one can determine with precision the final heating temperatureof the foodstuffs contained in the vessel. One can thus choose theduration of heating of said vessel as a function of the quantity and ofthe contents of the vessel.

[0015] Advantageously, said vessel is arranged at the interior of anenclosure for recovery of the fluid connected by a recycling conduit tosaid reservoir.

[0016] One can certainly imagine sending the heated fluid toward thevessel placed in a recovery enclosure that could collect and hold thisfluid in a space surrounding the vessel. One could equally imagineemptying this fluid toward the exterior of the apparatus. One chooseshowever to recycle it by sending it toward the reservoir, thus obtaininga closed circuit functioning of the fluid at the interior of theapparatus, which is clearly more economical and proves to be of a morepractical utilization.

[0017] Preferably, said vessel is supported by a grid above the level ofthe fluid in said enclosure.

[0018] By grid there is understood a plate for separating the twovolumes having at least one traversing orifice that lets the fluid passfrom one volume to the other. The grid supporting said vessel preferablyhas a passage cross section permitting a flow rate through the gridgreater than the flow rate of the boiler. By this fact, the vessel doesnot remain immersed in the heated fluid and its temperature no longercontinues to increase once the heating is halted, which has the effectthat the vessel can retain its initially programmed temperature.

[0019] Advantageously, said apparatus comprises a lid for closing saidenclosure.

[0020] This permits heating of the vessel in a closed atmosphere, whichpresent the advantage of being more rapid and of maintaining constantthe temperature of the vessel for a certain time after heating ishalted.

[0021] Usefully, said thermal pump transfers the fluid from thereservoir toward the distributing organ intermittently.

[0022] One could certainly imagine a thermal pump associated with aboiler having a sufficiently large capacity to send at one time theheated fluid toward the vessel containing the foodstuffs to be heated,or even in being associated with a one-way valve having a small play. Ina variant, one chooses a boiler having a lesser capacity, since itarrives more rapidly at temperature, associated with a valve having asufficiently large play to permit intermittent functioning. This boileris going to send, in a repetitive manner, the heated fluid in burststoward said vessel, the quantity sent at one time corresponding to thecapacity of the boiler. The number and the volume of bursts sent towardsthe vessel in a predetermined period of time define the heat supply ofthe fluid to the vessel to be heated. By this fact, in choosing thenumber of bursts of a known volume of a fluid having a known heatcapacity, one can easily adapt it to a vessel having a given volume andgiven content. Thus, by varying the number of bursts, one can utilizethe apparatus with vessels having different volumes and contents.

[0023] Advantageously, the distributing organ opens into the upper partof said vessel.

[0024] One could imagine that the distributing organ sends the heatedfluid to the lower or side part of the vessel. One prefers however aspraying onto the upper part of the vessel to be heated, since the fluidthat arrived at the upper part then flows by gravity along the walls ofthe vessel, which permits it a longer contact time, thus improving theheat transfer with this latter.

[0025] Preferably, said distributing organ is a chute having at leastone fluid flow orifice oriented toward said vessel.

[0026] One should be able to, of course, imagine a spraying down of thevessel, in which case the conduit arriving from the boiler would openinto a sprayer, or sprinkler, head placed above the vessel to be heated;or even an indirect spraying of the vessel in which the fluid arrivingfrom the boiler would be projected onto the interior surface of a domefor distributing the fluid that would then send it toward the vessel tobe heated. One prefers however a spraying in which the heated fluid ischanneled by a conduit which is terminated by a chute opening into aflow orifice oriented toward said vessel, since thus one arrives atchanneling, orienting, and even calibrating in a more precise manner thefluid jet sent toward the vessel to be heated.

[0027] Advantageously, said chute at least partially surrounds saidvessel in its upper part.

[0028] For this, the chute has an inner diameter equal to or greaterthan that of the recovery enclosure, several orifices being provided inits walls to spray the vessel to be heated at least partially on theperiphery of its upper part, which offers a more uniform and more rapidheating.

[0029] Preferably, said chute has several flow orifices of apredetermined diameter uniformly spaced on its periphery.

[0030] The number and the diameter of the orifices determine the flowrate of fluid that sprays the vessel. The uniform spacing of theorifices on the periphery of the chute permits a homogeneous heating ofthe contents of the vessel. In a variant, one can imagine a device forregulating the flow in the form, for example, of a plate that is mountedto be movable with respect to the chute permitting partial blocking ofcertain orifices in order to adapt the flow rate of the fluid to thevolume, to the contents or to the size of the vessel to be heated.

[0031] Advantageously, the apparatus of the invention comprises ahousing at the interior of which is arranged said enclosure situatedabove said reservoir which is raised with respect to said heating unit,a heating unit communicating by an upwardly extending conduit with saidchute.

[0032] Such a construction making use of tiered elements permits asimple closed circuit circulation of the fluid, which flows by gravityfrom the recovery enclosure into the reservoir and from there into theheating unit, from where it is sent to the upper part by the thermalpump.

[0033] Preferably, the apparatus of the invention comprises a timemeasuring unit controlling the operation of said heating unit.

[0034] The time measuring unit can be an electromechanical or electronicregulator having graduations corresponding to the heating time or to thequantity of the product to be heated. The regulator is connected to anelectronic circuit that controls the starting and the stopping of theheating depending on the pre-selected time, and which thus determinesthe final temperature of the vessel to be heated.

[0035] Advantageously, the apparatus of the invention comprises meansfor regulating the temperature of the electric heating element of saidheating unit permitting it an operation at at least two distincttemperatures.

[0036] Thus, by causing the temperature of the heating unit to vary onearrives at obtaining variable heating times for a same quantity ofproduct to be heated. Incidentally, one can imagine that, by using wateras the heat transfer fluid and an appropriate boiler, the apparatus ofthe invention can distribute hot water and/or steam toward the walls ofthe vessel to be heated. For example, one boiler suitable for producinghot water and/or steam can be a vertical boiler with a bend such asdescribed in the document FR 2 721 381 in the name of the applicant, ora horizontal or vertical U-shaped boiler, the heating power and/or timeof which are chosen to obtain water and/or steam at the outlet of theboiler.

[0037] Preferably, the apparatus according to the invention has meansforming a support for said vessel at the interior of said enclosurepermitting use of the apparatus with vessels having differentdimensions.

[0038] The means forming a support can be a movable grid and means fordisplacing it and fixing it at different heights in said enclosure, or aset of cylinders of different heights that can be arranged one by one insaid enclosure as a function of the height of the vessel to be heated.Thus, by using very simple adaptation means one can arrange more or lessdeep vessels at the interior of the same apparatus, such as baby bottlesof different dimensions, small jars or dishes containing the food to beheated.

[0039] Advantageously, said invention concerns a baby bottle heaterhaving, at the lower part of the vessel to be heated, a water reservoirand a unit for heating the water contained in the reservoir, by the factthat the baby bottle heater has a thermal pump able to transfer, via anupwardly extending conduit opening into said heating unit, apredetermined flow of heated water to a distributing organ orientedtoward the walls of said vessel, the water then returning to thereservoir through a recycling conduit.

[0040] Such an apparatus assures a rapid heating of the contents of thebaby bottle and a reliable regulation of the temperature at the interiorof the baby bottle. Moreover, the heating being effected by streaming ofhot water on the walls of the baby bottle, this latter can be grasped bythe user when the heating ends without risk of burning.

[0041] The invention will be better understood from a study of theembodiments taken by way of non-limiting example and illustrated in theattached figures in which:

[0042]FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of an apparatus of theinvention according to a first embodiment, one part of the lateral wallsbeing removed to show the upper part of the apparatus in axialcross-section;

[0043]FIG. 2 is a view in partial cross-section of the apparatus of FIG.1 while using a median plane A-A perpendicular to the plane of the axialcross-section of FIG. 1;

[0044]FIG. 3 represents a view to an enlarged scale of the detail B ofFIG. 2;

[0045]FIG. 4 represents a view in axial cross-section to an enlargedscale of the detail C of FIG. 1;

[0046]FIG. 5 shows an axial cross-section of an apparatus according to asecond embodiment of the invention.

[0047]FIG. 1 shows an apparatus according to a first embodiment of theinvention and it is represented in a condition for heating a babybottle, but it can equally be utilized to heat small jars or dishescontaining food for babies. The apparatus comprises a housing 1 having abase 2 and a skirt 4 connecting it to the upper lid 3. At the interiorof housing 1 is found a cavity 16 intended to receive the vessel to beheated.

[0048] Cavity 16 is embodied by an enclosure 6 preferably having acylindrical form that is arranged and supported at the interior ofhousing 1. Enclosure 6 is sufficiently deep to be able to receive avessel of the baby bottle type with large dimensions over its entireheight. At the upper part, enclosure 6 has a rim 8 in the form of agutter that assures the maintenance of a distributing organ 19, as willbe described in detail below. At the lower part, enclosure 6 has abottom wall 7 having one or several traversing orifices 24.

[0049] Bottom wall 7 separates enclosure 6 from fluid supply reservoir9, the fluid being able to circulate from enclosure 6 to reservoir 9 viaorifice 24.

[0050] Fluid reservoir 9 can be integral with enclosure 6 or mounted ina removable manner with respect to this latter and to housing 1 of theapparatus. According to a preferred variant of the embodiment of theinvention, the fluid utilized is water and in the description thatfollows, reference will be made to the use of the apparatus with water,without however excluding other heat carrying fluids such as steam, oil,etc.

[0051] Reservoir 9 is connected via a flow orifice 10 to supply conduit11 through which the fluid arrives at the heating unit forming a boiler12. A one-way valve 25 is mounted in conduit 11 and it permitscirculation of water from reservoir 9 toward boiler 12 and prevents anyreturn of water from the boiler toward the reservoir. FIG. 4 shows valve25 in the open position, this latter having a body 28 and a sphere 26that is displaced by the pressure of the water at the interior of body28 of valve 25.

[0052] Boiler 12 is constituted by a fluid circulation pipe 17 in theform of a U or a horseshoe, arranged in a horizontal plane at theinterior of base two of the apparatus and of a heating element 14 havinga form identical to that of pipe 12 against which it is fixed, in thelower part of this latter. Pipe 17 is made, for example, of a metallicmaterial that is a good conductor of heat. Heating element 14 can beconstituted by a sheathed resistance mounted in thermal communication,for example by welding, against pipe 17.

[0053] The assembly of boiler 12 is mounted on a support plate at theinterior of base 2 of the apparatus. The boiler equally comprises athermal regulation organ represented by thermostat 15, for example ofthe bimetallic blade type, electrically connected to heating element 14.Thermostat 15 is placed in the central zone of heating element 14 in theform of a U, fixed to the same support plate at the interior of base 2.Regulation can equally be effected with the aid of a NTC sensor inthermal contact with the boiler, a sensor that is connected to anelectronic card that controls the heating time and power.

[0054] Boiler 12 is connected by an upwardly extending flow reversingconduit 18 to a distributing organ 19 situated in the upper part ofhousing 1 of the apparatus. Distributing organ 19 is constituted by achute 20 provided with evacuation orifices 21. Chute 20 has a toroidalform and is arranged in the upper part on the periphery of enclosure 6.Chute 20 practically completely surrounds enclosure 6 and consequentlyvessel 5 positioned in a concentric manner at the interior of thislatter. The inner diameter of chute 20 has dimensions close to those ofthe inner diameter of enclosure 6. The inner diameter of thecross-section of gutter 20 has dimensions equal to or even less thanthose of upwardly extending conduit 18 in order to prevent pressure lossin chute 6.

[0055]FIG. 2 shows a partial view in cross-section of the apparatuswhere one can note that chute 20 supported by the upper rim forminggutter 8 of enclosure 6. Upper lid 3 of housing 1 of the apparatuscovers chute 20 in its upper part and presents an internal wall inclinedin a manner to prevent water splashes toward the outside, the wallorienting them toward the inside of enclosure 6. Chute 20 has severalorifices 21 disposed equidistantly on the periphery of its internalface. As is better seen in the detail of FIG. 3, orifices 21 have anangle of inclination a with the horizontal axis of the transversecross-section of the chute, this angle being calculated in a manner suchthat the fluid jet has a good incidence with the wall of the vessel tobe heated and such that it thus avoids splashing, while flowing alongthe wall of the vessel. In the framework of this example, theinclination angle a can be around 300.

[0056] As is visible in FIG. 1, the apparatus equally comprises acontrol button 23 that commands the heating phase. Button 23 can be aregulator connected to an electric circuit that halts supply of heatingelement 14 as soon as a pre-selected period has passed. Button 23 canequally be a button for selection of a quantity of foodstuff to beheated that is connected to an electronic card for control of theheating phase.

[0057] In operation, the user begins by filling reservoir 9 with water.Reservoir 9 has a sufficiently large capacity to permit continuousoperation of the boiler, without draining the thermal pump, thiscapacity being for example at least 300 ml. One-way valve 25 permitsadmission of the cold water from reservoir 9 into boiler 12. The userthen places the vessel to be heated, for example a baby bottle 5, intocavity 16 of the apparatus and operates selection button 23 to controlthe heating phase as a function of the quantity of liquid to be heatedcontained in the baby bottle. Heating element 14 causes the temperatureof the water to rise rapidly, bringing the latter to boiling almostinstantaneously in boiler 12. The vapor pressure provokes the rise ofthe water in upwardly extending conduit 18, valve 25 preventing anyreturn of this latter into reservoir 9. Hot water that arrives in chute20 through upwardly extending conduit 18 is evacuated through orifices21 and flows on the periphery of the baby bottle to be heated. Afterflow of the hot water on the baby bottle, this latter returns toreservoir 9 by passing through flow orifice 24 of wall 7 of enclosure 6.Following emptying of upwardly extending conduit 18, the pressure at theinterior of the boiler drops, which causes the latter to be refilledwith water through valve 25 and a new cycle begins.

[0058] During the entire heating phase, chute 20 waters baby bottle 5with bursts of water that follow one another at a timed interval that isa function of the capacity of boiler 12 and of the power of heatingelement 14. The water flowing in bursts at constant temperature, it issufficient to cause the flow time to vary in order to vary the finaltemperature of the baby bottle.

[0059] In one example of construction of the invention, this interval is2 to 3 seconds for a boiler having a capacity of 9.5 ml and a heatingelement power of 500W which furnishes hot water at a temperature ofaround 80 to 85° C. Thus, a baby bottle is rapidly brought to theoptimum temperature for consumption comprised between 35 and 45° C., ina delay of around 2 to 3.5 min, this delay being determined as afunction of the quantity of liquid that it contains. The fact is notedthat the time for heating the baby bottle is much shorter compared to aconventional heating in a double boiler that is around 6 to 7 min. Inthe same manner, a small jar containing a pasty or solid foodstuffreaches the optimum temperature for consumption in a period of 6 to 8min with the apparatus of the invention compared to a period of 20 minwith a conventional apparatus.

[0060] In an advantageous variant of construction of the invention, theapparatus has a lid in the form of a bell that covers the upper part ofhousing 1. This permits the efficiency of the apparatus to be improved,by reducing the heating time, and equally permitting assurance of afunction of maintaining the vessel warm after stopping the apparatus.The water not remaining in enclosure 6, but in reservoir 9 situatedunder the enclosure, the temperature of the baby bottle no longerincreases after halting of the heating. In addition, the lid permitsthis final temperature to be maintained constant during at least 30 min.

[0061] In a variant not shown in the figures, the apparatus of theinvention is provided for use with vessels to be heated having differentdimensions. For this, one can arrange in enclosure 6 several cylindricalsupports having a perforated bottom, each support having a heightadapted to that of the vessel to be heated in a manner such that theupper part of this latter is in the vicinity of the watering zone ofchute 20.

[0062]FIG. 5 illustrates a heating apparatus for a foodstuff accordingto a second embodiment of the invention in which a same referencedesignates a similar part of the first embodiment. The apparatus has amodular structure in being constituted of several parts stacked at leastin part in a removable manner. The apparatus comprises a lower housing30 enclosing heating element 14, fluid circulation pipe 17 and theorgans for regulation and for control of the heating. An upper housing33 is supported by lower housing 30. A water reservoir 31 is removablymounted at the interior of housing 33. Housing 33 supports at its upperpart a tank 34 forming an enclosure for recovery of hot water that issprinkled on the vessel to be heated represented in this figure in theform of a dish 36 containing the foodstuff to be heated. A chute 20having evacuation orifices 21 surrounds vessel 26 in its upper part. Lid37 assures maintaining the contents of dish 36 warm.

[0063] The operation is identical to that of the apparatus according tothe first embodiment. Thus, after placing the apparatus into operation,cold water contained in reservoir 31 arrives in pipe 17 of boiler 12 andis brought to boiling almost instantaneously. The hot water passes by athermosiphon effect into upwardly extending conduit 18 and from thereinto chute 20 from where it is evacuated through orifices 21 toward theperiphery of dish 36. After flow on the periphery of dish 36, the hotwater returns to reservoir 31 through flow orifice 35 of tank 34 whichis in communication with orifice 38 of reservoir 31. Several cycles thusfollow one another until obtaining the optimum heating temperature indish 36.

[0064] Other variants and embodiments of the invention can be envisionedwithout departing from the framework of its claims. Thus, one couldimagine using the apparatus of the invention as a sterilizer by sendingsteam into a closed enclosure containing the vessel to be sterilized.

1. Apparatus for heating a vessel (5) containing foodstuffs, by contactwith a fluid, having, in the lower part of said vessel (5), a reservoir(9, 31) for supplying a fluid and a unit (12) for heating said fluid,characterized in that said apparatus has a thermal pump able totransfer, through an upwardly extending conduit (18) opening into saidheating unit (12), a predetermined flow of heated fluid to adistributing organ (19) oriented toward the wall of said vessel (5). 2.Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said vessel (5) isarranged at the interior of an enclosure (6, 34) for recovery of thefluid connected by a recycling conduit (24, 35) to said reservoir (9,31).
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that saidvessel (5) is supported by a grid (7) above the level of the fluid insaid enclosure.
 4. Apparatus according to one of claims 2 or 3,characterized in that said apparatus comprises a lid (37) for closingsaid enclosure (6, 34).
 5. Apparatus according to one of the precedingclaims, characterized in that said thermal pump transfers the fluid fromthe reservoir (9, 31) toward the distributing organ (19) intermittently.6. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized inthat said distributing organ (19) opens into the upper part of saidvessel (5).
 7. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims,characterized in that said distributing organ (19) is a chute (20)having at least one fluid flow orifice (21) oriented toward said vessel.8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said chute (20)at least partially surrounds said vessel (5) in its upper part. 9.Apparatus according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that saidchute (20) has several flow orifices (21) of a predetermined diameteruniformly spaced on its periphery.
 10. Apparatus according to one ofclaims 2 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a housing (1) at theinterior of which is arranged said enclosure (6) situated above saidreservoir (9) which is raised with respect to said heating unit (12),heating unit (12) communicating by the upwardly extending conduit (18)with said chute (20).
 11. Apparatus according to one of the precedingclaims, characterized in that it comprises a time measuring unitcontrolling the operation of said heating unit (12).
 12. Apparatusaccording to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that itcomprises means (15) for regulating the temperature of the electricheating element (14) of said heating unit (12) permitting it anoperation at at least two distinct temperatures.
 13. Apparatus accordingto one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has meansforming a support for said vessel (5) at the interior of said enclosure(6) permitting use of the apparatus with vessels having differentdimensions.
 14. Baby bottle heater having, at the lower part of thevessel (5) to be heated, a water reservoir (9) and a unit (12) forheating the water contained in the reservoir (9), characterized in thatthe baby bottle heater has a thermal pump able to transfer, via anupwardly extending conduit (18) opening into said heating unit (12), apredetermined flow of heated water to a distributing organ (19) orientedtoward the walls of said vessel (5), the water then returning to thereservoir (9) through a recycling conduit (24).